Portlet Communication Arrangements, Portlet Containers, Methods of Communicating Between Portlets, and Methods of Managing Portlet Communication Arrangements Within a Portal

Abstract

A portlet communication arrangement includes a first portlet associated with a first application, and a second portlet associated with a second application which is different than the first application. The portlet communication arrangement also includes a mapping system for allowing the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and for allowing the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet. For example, the first portlet may include a first parameter associated with a particular type of data, the second portlet may include a second parameter associated with the particular type of data, and the mapping system may include a database that includes the first parameter, the second parameter, and a shared parameter namespace associated with the particular type of data. Moreover, the mapping system may be configured to map the first parameter and the second parameter to the shared parameter namespace to allow the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and to allow the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet.

1 . A portlet communication arrangement, comprising:
 a first portlet associated with a first application;   a second portlet associated with a second application which is different than the first application; and   means for allowing the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and for allowing the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet.   
   
   
       2 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the means for allowing comprises a mapping system. 
   
   
       3 . The arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the first portlet comprises a first parameter associated with a particular type of data, the second portlet comprises a second parameter associated with the particular type of data, and the mapping system comprises a database comprising the first parameter, the second parameter, and a shared parameter namespace associated with the particular type of data. 
   
   
       4 . The arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein the mapping system is configured to map the first parameter and the second parameter to the shared parameter namespace to allow the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and to allow the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet. 
   
   
       5 . The arrangement of  claim 4 , wherein a content of data associated with the first parameter is in a first format, and a content of data associated with the second parameter is in a second format which is different than the first format, wherein the mapping system is further configured to convert the content of the data associated with the first parameter from the first format to the second format when the first parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace, and to convert the content of the data associated with the second parameter from the second format to the first format when the second parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace. 
   
   
       6 . A portlet container, comprising:
 a first portlet which is associated with a first application and is hosted on a particular portal page;   a second portlet associated with a second application which is different than the first application, wherein the second portlet is hosted on the particular portal page; and   means for allowing the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and for allowing the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet.   
   
   
       7 . The portlet container of  claim 6 , wherein the means for allowing comprises a mapping system. 
   
   
       8 . The portlet container of  claim 7 , wherein the first portlet comprises a first parameter associated with a particular type of data, the second portlet comprises a second parameter associated with the particular type of data, and the mapping system comprises a database comprising the first parameter, the second parameter, and a shared parameter namespace associated with the particular type of data. 
   
   
       9 . The portlet container of  claim 8 , wherein the mapping system is configured to map the first parameter and the second parameter to the shared parameter namespace. 
   
   
       10 . The portlet container of  claim 9 , wherein a content of data associated with the first parameter is in a first format, and a content of data associated with the second parameter is in a second format which is different than the first format, wherein the mapping system is further configured to convert the content of the data associated with the first parameter from the first format to the second format when the first parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace, and to convert the content of the data associated with the second parameter from the second format to the first format when the second parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace. 
   
   
       11 . A software arrangement which, when executed by a processing arrangement, is configured to perform the steps of:
 allowing a first portlet associated with a first application to communicate with a second portlet associated with a second application which is different than the first application; and   allowing the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet.   
   
   
       12 . The software arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein the first portlet comprises a first parameter associated with a particular type of data, and the second portlet comprises a second parameter associated with the particular type of data. 
   
   
       13 . The software arrangement of  claim 12  which, when executed by the processing arrangement, is further configured to perform the step of mapping the first parameter and the second parameter to a shared parameter namespace associated with the particular type of data to allow the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and to allow the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet. 
   
   
       14 . The software arrangement of  claim 13 , wherein a content of data associated with the first parameter is in a first format, and a content of data associated with the second parameter is in a second format which is different than the first format, wherein when executed by the processing arrangement, the software arrangement is further configured to perform the steps of:
 converting the content of the data associated with the first parameter from the first format to the second format when the first parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace; and   converting the content of the data associated with the second parameter from the second format to the first format when the second parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace.   
   
   
       15 . A method of communicating between portlets, comprising the steps of:
 allowing a first portlet associated with a first application to communicate with a second portlet associated with a second application which is different than the first application; and   allowing the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first portlet comprises a first parameter associated with a particular type of data, and the second portlet comprises a second parameter associated with the particular type of data. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of mapping the first parameter and the second parameter to a shared parameter namespace associated with the particular type of data to allow the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and to allow the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a content of data associated with the first parameter is in a first format, and a content of data associated with the second parameter is in a second format which is different than the first format, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
 converting the content of the data associated with the first parameter from the first format to the second format when the first parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace; and   converting the content of the data associated with the second parameter from the second format to the first format when the second parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace.   
   
   
       19 . A method of managing a portlet communication arrangement within a portal, comprising the steps of:
 providing a first portlet associated with a first application, wherein the first portlet comprises a first parameter associated with a particular type of data;   providing a second portlet associated with a second application which is different than the first application, wherein the second portlet comprises a second parameter associated with the particular type of data;   determining each of the first parameter and the second parameter;   generating a database comprising the first parameter, the second parameter, and a shared parameter namespace associated with the particular type of data; and   mapping the first parameter and the second parameter to the shared parameter namespace to allow the first portlet to communicate with the second portlet and to allow the second portlet to communicate with the first portlet.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a content of data associated with the first parameter is in a first format, and a content of data associated with the second parameter is in a second format which is different than the first format, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
 converting the content of the data associated with the first parameter from the first format to the second format when the first parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace; and   converting the content of the data associated with the second parameter from the second format to the first format when the second parameter is mapped to the shared parameter namespace.